Shloka 9
कर्णस्य सेनापत्यं, माकरव्यूहः, पाण्डवानामर्धचन्द्रव्यूहः
Karna’s Command; Mākara Formation; Pandava Crescent Counter-Array
आरतायनि: समरे दुष्प्रकम्प्यः सेनाग्रणी: प्रथमस्तावकानाम् | यः स्वस्त्रीयान् पाण्डवेयान् विसृज्य सत्यां वाचं स्वां चिकीर्षुस्तरस्वी
Ārtāyaniḥ samare duṣprakampyaḥ senāgraṇīḥ prathamas tāvakānām | yaḥ svastrīyān pāṇḍaveyān visṛjya satyāṁ vācaṁ svāṁ cikīrṣus tarasvī |
Dijo Sañjaya: «Ārtāyani (Śalya), difícil de hacer vacilar en combate, el principal comandante entre tus fuerzas—ese guerrero veloz y poderoso que, deseando hacer verdadera su propia palabra, abandonó a los hijos de su hermana, los Pāṇḍavas, y se pasó a tu bando—está ahora listo para luchar por ti».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between kinship and pledged duty: Śalya is portrayed as choosing to uphold his own spoken commitment (satya-vākya) even when it requires separating from close relatives, illustrating how vows and personal honor can redirect allegiance in war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Śalya—renowned as unshakable in battle—has become the leading commander on the Kaurava side, having left the Pāṇḍavas (his sister’s sons) in order to fulfill his own promise and now stands ready to fight.